International Life Sciences Institute
Encyclopedia
The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) is a nonprofit
[501c3] science organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It is a member organization whose members are primarily food and beverage, agricultural, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies. According to its 2009 annual report, 68% of its revenue comes from member support; 17% from grants and contributions; and the balance from publications, conference registration, and other sources.
ILSI is a global organization with 15 branches that operate at the global, regional, or country-specific level. These include ILSI Argentina
; ILSI Brazil
; ILSI Europe
; ILSI Focal Point in China
; the ILSI Health & Environmental Sciences Institute; ILSI-India
; ILSI Japan
; ILSI Korea
; ILSI Mexico
; ILSI North Africa
and Gulf Region
; ILSI North America
; ILSI North Andean; ILSI South Africa
; ILSI South Andean; and ILSI Southeast Asia
Region.
It also includes the ILSI Research Foundation, which, unlike the branches, does not have members.
According to ILSI’s bylaws, 51% of its Board of Trustees must come from the public sector
, primarily universities. The balance of trustees is elected from its membership.
and well-being by engaging academic, government, and industry scientists in a neutral forum to advance scientific understanding in the areas related to nutrition
, food safety
, risk assessment
, and the environment
.” It further identifies “Four Global Issues” of specific interest which are: biotechnology
; functional food
s; obesity
; and risk assessment. ILSI conducts original research, publishes research, and organizes scientific conference
s to achieve its mission.
entry, in the 1980s ILSI “provide[d] special services to the cigarette companies behind the scene”. A 2001 editorial article in British Medical Journal
further claimed ILSI received money from tobacco industry
throughout the period 1983 to 1998. In the article, ILSI denied accusations it sought to undermine tobacco control
efforts. It further noted the infrequent symposia and publications sponsored on inhalation toxicology
in the 1980s only tangentially addressed cigarette smoke. In these instances, ILSI addressed the effects of second-hand smoke.
For example, in the 1989 ILSI Monograph Assessment of Inhalation Hazards, three of 33 chapters address tobacco. Two of those papers show unequivocally that second hand smoke has adverse affects on respiratory infection and lung function, especially in children and that epidemiological data show a “statistically significant increase in lung cancer
risk of about 40%” for nonsmokers married to smokers. The third article did not address risk per se, but rather compares the strengths and weakness of study designs for assessing risk.
ILSI is aware its funding raises questions about the neutrality
of its science. The North American branch of ILSI (ILSI North America) initiated a Conflict of Interest project which resulted in simultaneous publication of the article “Funding Food Science and Nutrition Research: Financial Conflicts and Scientific Integrity” in full or excerpted in six peer-reviewed journals. The article outlines eight ground rules to ensure the integrity of industry-supported science.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
[501c3] science organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It is a member organization whose members are primarily food and beverage, agricultural, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies. According to its 2009 annual report, 68% of its revenue comes from member support; 17% from grants and contributions; and the balance from publications, conference registration, and other sources.
ILSI is a global organization with 15 branches that operate at the global, regional, or country-specific level. These include ILSI Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
; ILSI Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
; ILSI Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; ILSI Focal Point in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; the ILSI Health & Environmental Sciences Institute; ILSI-India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
; ILSI Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; ILSI Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
; ILSI Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
; ILSI North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Gulf Region
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
"Arab states of the Persian Gulf" or "Arab Persian Gulf states" or "Persian Gulf Arab states" or "Arabic Persian Gulf states" or "Arab States of The Gulf", are terms that refer to the six Arab states of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, bordering the Persian Gulf....
; ILSI North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
; ILSI North Andean; ILSI South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
; ILSI South Andean; and ILSI Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
Region.
It also includes the ILSI Research Foundation, which, unlike the branches, does not have members.
According to ILSI’s bylaws, 51% of its Board of Trustees must come from the public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
, primarily universities. The balance of trustees is elected from its membership.
Mission and Science
According to its website, ILSI’s mission is to “improve public healthPublic health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
and well-being by engaging academic, government, and industry scientists in a neutral forum to advance scientific understanding in the areas related to nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, food safety
Food safety
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....
, risk assessment
Risk assessment
Risk assessment is a step in a risk management procedure. Risk assessment is the determination of quantitative or qualitative value of risk related to a concrete situation and a recognized threat...
, and the environment
Environment (biophysical)
The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
.” It further identifies “Four Global Issues” of specific interest which are: biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
; functional food
Functional food
Functional food is a food where a new ingredient has been added to a food and the new product has a new function ....
s; obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
; and risk assessment. ILSI conducts original research, publishes research, and organizes scientific conference
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
s to achieve its mission.
Tobacco Controversy, Industry Funding, and Integrity in Science
According to a SourceWatchSourceWatch
SourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
entry, in the 1980s ILSI “provide[d] special services to the cigarette companies behind the scene”. A 2001 editorial article in British Medical Journal
British Medical Journal
BMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...
further claimed ILSI received money from tobacco industry
Tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any warm, moist environment, which means it can be farmed on all...
throughout the period 1983 to 1998. In the article, ILSI denied accusations it sought to undermine tobacco control
Tobacco Control
Tobacco control is a field of public health science, policy and practice dedicated to controlling the growth of tobacco use and thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality it causes...
efforts. It further noted the infrequent symposia and publications sponsored on inhalation toxicology
Inhalation Toxicology
Inhalation Toxicology is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes review articles on the mechanisms, responses and assessments of toxins. It is published by Informa. The editor in chief is Donald E. Gardner. Inhalation Toxicology publishes 14 issues per year in simultaneous print and...
in the 1980s only tangentially addressed cigarette smoke. In these instances, ILSI addressed the effects of second-hand smoke.
For example, in the 1989 ILSI Monograph Assessment of Inhalation Hazards, three of 33 chapters address tobacco. Two of those papers show unequivocally that second hand smoke has adverse affects on respiratory infection and lung function, especially in children and that epidemiological data show a “statistically significant increase in lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
risk of about 40%” for nonsmokers married to smokers. The third article did not address risk per se, but rather compares the strengths and weakness of study designs for assessing risk.
ILSI is aware its funding raises questions about the neutrality
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
of its science. The North American branch of ILSI (ILSI North America) initiated a Conflict of Interest project which resulted in simultaneous publication of the article “Funding Food Science and Nutrition Research: Financial Conflicts and Scientific Integrity” in full or excerpted in six peer-reviewed journals. The article outlines eight ground rules to ensure the integrity of industry-supported science.